In article <Pine.SUN.3.91.950813203236.9364A-100000 at noel.pd.org>, Betty
Martini <betty at noel.pd.org> wrote:
> Dear Andy: As to references on the Insulin Growth Factor, perhaps the
> following will help you:
>> <snip>
Thanks Betty. Now perhaps you would like to post the references for the
role of PDGFs (3 of them), FGFs (at least 9 of them), EGF, TGFalphas, the
TGFbeta superfamily (over 20), the interleukins (over 15 last time I
looked), the heregulins, neurotrophins and neuropoietic cytokines in
cancer. Then when you're done with that, consider the roles of their
mutant receptors in cancer. Then tumour suppressor genes such as Rb and
p53.
When you're done with that, you might like to consider how any of the
references you mentioned supports any of the following:
"We have observed IGF to be that initiator, both in vitro and in vivo. To
my knowledge nobody has ever witnessed the birth of a cancer. A cancer
is a mistake. Many things cause cancer. IGF does not cause cancer. IGF
is not a carcinogen. IGF promotes growth. The body recognizes an
unusual cell. Instead of destroying that cell, our immune systems
interrupt the growth process. We literally place it in suspended
animation. 100 per cent of adults over the age of 50 (according to the
New York Times article) have thyroid tumors which have been controlled.
IGF, the powerful growth factor, lights the fuse. IGF releases those
controls. When scientists look closely at cancers they see enormous
amounts of IGF. I believe that IGF initiates the process of the
enormous replication of cancerous cells. IGF then continues to
aid in the rapid growth of that tumor. "
As far as I can see, the only sentence that's actually correct is "IGF
supports growth", which I think many people were aware of. Thank you
anyway.
Finally, you might want to ask yourself how any of this is relevant to
bionet.neuroscience.
Andy
--
Andy Groves
Division of Biology, 216-76
California Institute of Technology